The dispute over the role of the civil society sector in Macedonia continued to expand on Thursday, as SDSM party spokesman Petre Shilegov said that 22 non-Governmental organizations are under investigation by the Financial Investigation Bureau. VMRO-DPMNE party responded that this press conference only serves as further proof that SDSM coordinates its activities with the by far largest umbrella organization of the civil society sector - the George Soros funded Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia (FOSIM).

"According to information we have, on the initiative of the current director of the Security and Counter-Intelligence Bureau Vladimir Atanasovski, who was the former head of the FInancial Investigation Bureau, the Anticorruption Commission initiated investigations of 22 NGO groups. Additionally, 42 individuals, open critics of Nikola Gruevski and supporters of the opposition, are under investigation. We say that the time of politicians like Gruevski is over and there will be institutions that operate solely in the interest of the citizens", Shilegov said.

VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski blamed the Soros funded network of monopolizing the work of the civil society sector and said that its activities have been completely politicized in favor of SDSM. Darko Kostovski from VMRO-DPMNE responded to Shilegov's press conference to say that it is only further proof of the coordination that exists between SDSM and FOSIM."Petre Shilegov today promoted himself as spokesman for the NGO groups controlled by George Soros. He proved that their past vandalism, their attacks on the police and the destruction of national monuments was part of a joint plan between SDSM and Soros. SDSM and Soros were defeated at the elections. The majority gave a red card to the pardoned criminal Zoran Zaev and his NGO minions, who kept Macedonia in an artificial crisis for two years, inflicting enormous financial harm to the country in the process", said Kostovski.

The FOSIM coordinated NGO groups took part in what they called a colored revolution in 2015 and 2016, during which they would throw paint at landmarks and official buildings in the capital Skopje and across Macedonia, but would also clash with the police and destroyed an office of the President.